Published: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.

On the bus ride to the Asheville Regional Airport for its flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team got some good news about Thursday's NCAA tournament second-round game.

Facts

THURSDAY'S GAME

Top seed Syracuse will be playing without one of its big men: 7-foot, 285-pounder Fab Melo, who was ruled academically ineligible.

“That is a blow to them, but you have to remember that Syracuse is a deep team. I'd say at least 10 deep,” Bulldog coach Eddie Biedenbach said as he and his team were checking into the hotel in Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening. “They are one of the deepest teams in the country, and I believe if anything, (losing Melo) is going to make them even more mobile.”

The loss of the 7-foot Brazilian will be felt more on defense, as he was the anchor of the Orange's 2-3 zone. Although he averaged just over 25 minutes per game, he was still a terror for opposing offenses. He averaged 2.93 blocks per game, which was 12th best in the nation.

Biedenbach's team will step foot in the CONSOL Center in Pittsburgh at 12:45 p.m. today for its first practice.

“Each team gets 40 to 45 minutes on the floor, and we can't wait. The guys will get to get a feel for the arena and the atmosphere to prepare for Thursday. We're all really looking forward to it,” Biedenbach said.

The 16th-seeded Bulldogs (24-9), making their third NCAA tournament appearance, face Syracuse (31-2) at 3:10 p.m. Thursday in the NCAA's second round. In 108 tries, no 16 seed has ever defeated a 1 seed.

Biedenbach believes his team can make history.

“We came up here for one thing and for one thing only, and that's to win a game. We have to worry about how we're going to play, and I know my guys are going to be ready. We need to play the best we can play, and that's what we plan to do,” Biedenbach said.

<p>On the bus ride to the Asheville Regional Airport for its flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team got some good news about Thursday's NCAA tournament second-round game.</p><p>Top seed Syracuse will be playing without one of its big men: 7-foot, 285-pounder Fab Melo, who was ruled academically ineligible.</p><p>“That is a blow to them, but you have to remember that Syracuse is a deep team. I'd say at least 10 deep,” Bulldog coach Eddie Biedenbach said as he and his team were checking into the hotel in Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening. “They are one of the deepest teams in the country, and I believe if anything, (losing Melo) is going to make them even more mobile.”</p><p>The loss of the 7-foot Brazilian will be felt more on defense, as he was the anchor of the Orange's 2-3 zone. Although he averaged just over 25 minutes per game, he was still a terror for opposing offenses. He averaged 2.93 blocks per game, which was 12th best in the nation.</p><p>Biedenbach's team will step foot in the CONSOL Center in Pittsburgh at 12:45 p.m. today for its first practice.</p><p>“Each team gets 40 to 45 minutes on the floor, and we can't wait. The guys will get to get a feel for the arena and the atmosphere to prepare for Thursday. We're all really looking forward to it,” Biedenbach said.</p><p>The 16th-seeded Bulldogs (24-9), making their third NCAA tournament appearance, face Syracuse (31-2) at 3:10 p.m. Thursday in the NCAA's second round. In 108 tries, no 16 seed has ever defeated a 1 seed. </p><p>Biedenbach believes his team can make history.</p><p>“We came up here for one thing and for one thing only, and that's to win a game. We have to worry about how we're going to play, and I know my guys are going to be ready. We need to play the best we can play, and that's what we plan to do,” Biedenbach said.</p>